Roy Griffin Remember Life in 1900

From Look Over Your Shoulder, One-Nine-0-0, by Roy Griffin, memories of life in 1900

Children living in the country would trudge to school through rain, sleet, snow or sunshine to learn. The walking did not bother them, and in most cases many miles were involved. “You must learn” was the edict handed down by their parents, and this was not questioned by the children.

A one-room school house, with one teacher, would house several grades. The children would buckle-down, and each day brought new knowledge. This, although being the prime reason for attendance, did not completely hinder the boys from pulling the little girls’ pigtails, or from throwing spit-balls at one another.

Where several children from one family were attending school, one lunch basket was prepared for all. The mother would arise early each day, as was the custom, and while fixing breakfast would also pack the basket.

At lunch time the children would share such food items as sausage biscuits, eggs biscuits, jelly biscuits, and just plain cold biscuits! Any mother, in any one family, must’ve baked a million biscuits for their children!

A real treat would be to find in the basket cold baked sweet potatoes “a la” molasses! The mother would poke her finger in the end of the potato, fill it with home-made molasses, and pinch the hole together. This made for mighty fine eatin’ for the youngsters!

Simple life! Preparing one’s self for the years ahead! Hard work for all! Respect for parents and their heritage! All these factors left no time for “demonstrations” or “griping.” Love of life and country, and living according to God’s will, is good for anyone living in any era!